Drawbridge.



J.C.,TURNER. 'DMV/BRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED IUN 7. 191?.

Patented Mar. 11,1919.

UNITEDV STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. TURNER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR TO THE J OI-IN C. TURNERNOVELTY CO.,

OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DRAWBRID GE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

Application led June '7, 1917. Serial No. 173,323.

To all whom t mag( concew:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. TURNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and Stateof Ohio, 'haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Drawbridges, of which thefollowing specification is a full disclosure.

This invention relates to toys and it proposes an apparatus siinulatinga drawbridge.

One object is to render available a simple construction adapted to formthe basis of a toy and which is an imitation of a drawbridge adaptednormally to rest in open position and to close at a predeterminedstation in the approach of a car from eitherY direction.

Another object is to devise a simple toy drawbridge which is held by alatch against the spring pressure in an openY position and which isreleased by car-action to swing into closed position and permit thepassage of the car.

Other objects are in part obvious'from the annexed drawings and in partkindicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of thisinvention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction.combination of parts and in the unique relation ofthe members and in therelative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as more completelyoutlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully toA comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they may embody the same by thenumerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by thisinvention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as apart of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of whichFigure l is a plan of one embodiment of this'invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof; both views showing the drawbridge in its latched openposition ready toY be closed by the approach of a car.

Continuing with reference to the drawings, A indicates the drawbridgeproper which consists of a bridge element formed of sides 1 and 2preferably cut and ornamented to imitate trestlework. These sides areshown connected by a. plurality of ties 3, 4 and 5; the latter servingalso as a support for the pivoty of the drawbridge. This tie 5 rests ona post 6 upstanding from the base B of the drawbridge, and a suitablepin or aXle 7 extends downwardly from the tie 5 into a socket 8 in thepillar 6 and a coiled spring 9 encircles the pin 7 and tends normally torotate the drawbridge in the direcl tion of the arrow 10 so as to swingor snap 17 andlS will match lor register with theV Vrails 19 of thedrawbridge.

By means of suitable devices not herein shown, the track sections Cand'Dmay be tilted upwardly andrdownwardly about the standards 15 and 16as fulcrums so as to determine the direction of movement of a suitablegravity car here diagrammatically represented by E.

Each of the track sectionsC and I) are provided with means whereby thegravity car E is enabled to act on a latch normally holding the drawbridge in its open position so as to cause the drawbridge to swingunder the action of the spring 9 into its closed position inanticipation of the approach of the gravity car E. This instrumentalitycomprises a latch member F pivoted at a to the wing 14 of the base B andnormally held by a spring e against a stop-pin 7c. A beveled tongue orlatch proper m projects from the part F and is adapted to catch againstthe drawbridge to retain it in its open position, the small spring ebeing of sufficient strength for thatpurpose. The tongue m is carried bya socket in the part F and is springpressed outwardly and is providedwith a bevel so that the drawbridge may manually be swung back from itsclosed into its open position and retained in the latter. In order thatthe latch F may be withdrawn to permit the drawbridge to swing into itsclosed position, two cords a and r 'respectively run around a pulley sand connect with the latch member F so that a pull on said cords willswing said latch member away toA one side 2 Laet/,cee

and permit the drawbridge to close. The cords n and fr, respectivelypass around pulleys t and w and then extend to the track sections C andD; respectively to connect with operating mechanisms arranged inconjunction therewith. Since these mechanisms are identical in eachinstance, it will suffice to describe the one associated with tracksection C. A standard Z) provides a part o carrying a pivot Z supportinga weighted trip f. The cord n extends around pulleys z, and i carried bya post o and is attached to the upper end of the trip Now; when the carE comes along7 its lower portion vu hits the trip f and swings it overin such a direction as to exert a pull on the cord a with the effectthat the latch F is pulled away and the drawbridge A is permitted toswing into registry with the track sections C and D. The car thenproceeds on its way across the drawbridge and over and along the tracksection D and when it reachesthe counter part trip f it merely swings itout of the way without pulling the cord and `after the car has passedthe trip 7" then returns to normal. The child then swings the drawbridgeA manually back to its open position and relatches it in place.

Without further elaboration; the foregoing will so fully reveal the gistof this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readilyadapt it for Various applications without omitting certain featuresthat, from the standpoint of the prior art,

fairly constitute essential characteristics of claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States:-

1. A toy comprising a draw-bridge base and track sections; a drawbridgepivotally mounted on said base and spring-pressed into registry withsaid track sections; a latch adapted to retain said drawbridge in anopen position; and means for enabling an approaching car to operate saidlatch to release said drawbridge and permit it to swing into its closedposition.

2. A toy combining a first track section; a second track section spacedtherefrom; a drawbridge pivoted to swing from an open position into aclosed position bridging said space; mea-ns resiliently urging saidbridge into its closed position; a latch adapted to retain it in itsopen position; a trip located at one of said track sections to beactuated by an approaching car; and a connection extending from saidtrip to said latch whereby the drawbridge will swing into its-closedposition upon the approach of a car.

3. A toy combining a first track section; a second track section spacedaway therefrom; a ypivoted drawbridge occupying an intervening positionand normally spring pressed into its closed position; latch means forretaining the drawbridge in its open p0- sition; an automatic tripmechanism arranged in conjunction with each of said spaced tracksections 'whereby a car opproaching in either direction will operatesaid latch to release said drawbridge.

ln witness whereof; l hereunto subscribe my name; as attested by the twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. TURNER.

Witnesses LEON MINTZ, D. Cooks.

Copesof this patent may be obtained. for five cents eachJ by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents. Washington, l. G.

